It appears it's not just cats who have the gift of sensing when old timers are about to pop their clogs. Hot on the paws of Oscar, the Rhode Island feline who spookily holds death-bed vigils for residents at Providence's Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, comes news of Scamp - the Ohio grim reaper canine who …

And this is news now why? Not like it's a new thing...

My wife's worked in nursing homes for years and has seen animals do this sort of thing since the start of her career. She mentioned that it must be a slow news cycle for this to be in the news now as it's not exactly new or uncommon.

In the homes with animals, many of the staff habitually watch the animals for those sorts of behavioral differences. Just like in the articles - in more than one facility, an otherwise indifferent cat would become very friendly to residents as they neared death. Dogs would similarly change behavior around people near death, spending more time around them and barking more.

My guess is that there's some change in our smell that they pick up on (and given the way pet food smells, I REALLY hope we don't start smelling like THAT), but that's just my layman's uninformed guess.

Alternately...

Dogs can sense when humans are in poor health or feeling down. Everyone knows that. It just so happens that when old people get ill, they're likely on their last legs. I'd say coincidence and nothing more. If it is something more, the dog better stay the hell away from me...

balls

I've seen it

Sort of. My neighbor was dying of brain cancer. His dogs were laying in the living room when they suddenly jumped up and went into his bed room and started whining. The family ran in there and five minutes later he died.

As far as celebrities are concerned, this is more like Lindsay Lohan jumping on the (this is going to get me flamed) Paris Hilton "I'm going to jail" bandwagon. Only without the iPhone.

I don't know

Exercise

Maybe this is the nursing home's attempt to get the lazier residents up and taking some exercise. I can just see them standing at the end of a corridor announcing in a raise voice,

"Come on then Scamp. Let's take you around to see the residents then.".

Meanwhile residents are shuffling like crazy to the other end of the home, jumping out the windows, smashing into fire exits. Obviously, everyone there is going to know that if they're not fast enough in getting out of the way then, they've had it.

I'd hate to be a new resident there (evidently they go through a few - forty gone in three years!).

"Hello, chaps. This is Mr. Smith he's coming to live here today. Please, make him welcome".

"Sure, Sure."

"Shh. Shh, Don't mention Scamp. Maybe that way we'll have a chance.".

"Wa? Wassat?"

"Nothing, Nothing Old chap. Have a seat. Here by the nurses station. Never mind the dog basket. You'll be fine there. [snigger]."